Fifth Army (Ottoman Empire)

The Fifth Army of the Ottoman Empire (Turkish: Beşinci Ordu) was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in 1915 during World War I and was primarily responsible for the defense of the Dardanelles Strait and the Gallipoli Peninsula against the Allied Gallipoli Campaign.

Organization and Role:

The Fifth Army was initially commanded by German General Liman von Sanders, appointed by the Ottoman government. Its primary mission was to repel any Allied landings and secure the vital Dardanelles waterway, which controlled access to Constantinople (Istanbul), the Ottoman capital. The army consisted of multiple divisions and was crucial in preventing the Allied forces from achieving their objective of capturing Constantinople and knocking the Ottoman Empire out of the war.

Key Battles and Campaigns:

The Fifth Army was heavily involved in the Gallipoli Campaign (1915-1916). It faced intense fighting against British, French, Australian, and New Zealand troops. The army's well-prepared defenses, combined with the challenging terrain and logistical difficulties faced by the Allies, led to a protracted and ultimately unsuccessful Allied campaign. The Fifth Army employed various defensive tactics, including trench warfare, artillery barrages, and counterattacks, to hold its ground.

Commanders:

• Liman von Sanders (1915-1918)
• Essad Pasha (briefly, towards the end of the war)

Units and Formations (during the Gallipoli Campaign):

The specific composition of the Fifth Army varied throughout the campaign. Key components included:

• III Corps
• XV Corps

These Corps contained various divisions, including the 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 19th Divisions, among others. The specific divisions assigned to each corps shifted over time.

Disbandment:

Following the Allied withdrawal from Gallipoli in late 1915 and early 1916, the Fifth Army remained in place to secure the area. It was later redeployed to other fronts as the strategic situation of the Ottoman Empire shifted during the later years of World War I. The Fifth Army was eventually disbanded as part of the broader demobilization of the Ottoman Army following the end of the war in 1918.